119 | Not About to Quit with Lori Cheek
Have you ever felt like quitting? Have you ever just wanted to give up on your dream of building your business? How about this one… you worked really hard for the chance to pitch your company and passion project to a group of investors with millions on national TV, yet it didn’t go your way. What would you do when those investors said “you should QUIT this project”? Lori Cheek shares her story of making it to Shark Tank (yes, the TV show) and being told to run from her business. Lori didn’t let it stop her, but she did make some changes to her business model to better fit today’s technology. Join me with the story of Lori and her journey when she said “I’m not about to quit.”
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Lori’s Target Audience: Includes singles looking to date or find a relationship
Lori is the founder and CEO of a Dating Business called Cheek’d. Cheek’d is a unique online social circuit which brings singles who happen to be in the same vicinity together. People exchange “business” cards (that are not really business cards) that include a funny pick up line and exclude personal information to protect the individual’s privacy. The card also has a code they can then type in from the card to view the other person’s profile. Cheek’d is not quite like online dating. And the aim is to break the ice in a way that doesn’t make either party feel awkward.
Lori knew she had to be “the digital dating disrupter” to stand out from the competition. What’s different about Cheek’d is that it connects people who happen to be in the same physical vicinity. It pushes people to pay attention to what is around them rather than stare at their phones and helps people to get out of their heads.
A little over a year ago, Lori was a contestant on Shark Tank. She was determined to get on the show for the potential financial gain it would provide and for the viewers/exposure. Lori may have gotten knocked down by the judges, but her determination to nurture her vision did not falter. She also gained many supporters who believe in what she has created.
Lori admits that she did need to take a PIVOT. At one point in this journey, she realized people were not taking to Cheek’d on the scale she imagined. Rather than give up, Lori made a pivot and discovered the opportunity lying within bluetooth technology. Adding bluetooth technology gave Cheek’d a total boost in success.
Making pivots is usually catalyzed by spending some time in the trenches. Lori remembers her time in the trenches when she sold all her high end clothing and other things on amazon.com. She decided to rent out her designed apartment for 4 months while living on her friend’s sofa and ran her business from a suitcase. She admits that she absolutely had to let go of her possessions to claim her success. Lori also shares that she had to let go of fear of failure.
In this episode we’ll cover:
- What made Lori stand out from the crowd
- Why disapproval from Shark Tank didn’t make Lori quit
- What Lori used to her advantage from Shark Tank
- How Lori found her crowd of supporters
- The PIVOT move Lori had to make
- What Lori had to give up to claim her success
Resources and Links
- Lori on Twitter
- Lori on Instagram: @Cheekd
- Lori’s Page
- Get in touch with Gene here
To give Lori a shout out, follow her and send her a message. Connect with Gene too on LinkedIn or Twitter at @genehammett.
Do you have questions about today’s episode?
Did you know that you can apply to chat with me by phone? This is a limited time offer to help anyone that is serious about refining their business as well as developing a clear & compelling strategy that will drive them forward. Complete the questions and our team will follow up with you to schedule time for your “Vision Breakthrough Session”. These are limited to 30 minutes, completely free and oh, so valuable. Apply Now!
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